Vapor electric apparatus.



F. CONRAD.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. l8. I91 I- Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- F. CONRAD.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8. 191 l.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918;

INVENTOR 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WITNESSES:

(Mvr/liww,

ATTORNEY F. CONRAD.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8. I91 1.

1,285,947. Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 6110mm M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK CONRAD, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELEC-TRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

Application filed September 18, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK CONRAD, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Swissvale, in the count of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, ave invented a new and useful Improvement in VaporElectric Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vapor electric apparatus, and particularly tomercury vapor rectifying devices having metallic or other conductingcasings.

The object of my invention is to provide a rectifying device of thecharacter described in which means are provided for preventing shortcircuits b tween the positive electrodes and also for preventing theoccurrence of arcs between the positive electrodes and the casing.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side and vertical sectionalview through a vapor rectifier constructed in accordance withmyinvention. Fig. 2 is a partial transverse sectional view, through thedevice of Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are views of parts of the shieldthat is interposed between the positive electrodes and the casing. Fig.7 is a face view of one of the devices that assists in supporting theshield, and Fig. 8 is a front elevation, partly in section of theshielding members.

The device comprises a sheet iron or other suitable metallic orconducting casing or shell 1 that is preferably composed of a pluralityof rolled or pressed parts joined at their meeting edges by welding, orotherwise. The casing is provided, in its bottom, with a pocket 2 thatcontains mercury 3 or some other suitable vaporizable materialconstituting the negative electrode of the rectifier. An insulatingcylinder 4, of some such material, for example, as porcelain or quartz,projects into the mercury to such an extent that its lower end willalways be submerged, the said cylinder being resiliently supported bymeans of a ring 5 of sheet metal having radial slits extending outwardlyfrom its inner edge to provide tongues which engage the sides of thecylinder.

Suspended from the top of the casing 1, and insulated therefrom by meansof bushings 13, are suitable positive electrodes 6 that are surroundedby sheet metal shields 7, the upper ends of which overlap and arecentered by the insulating bushings 13, and the Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Serial No. 649,936.

lower ends of which open outwardly and away from each other, the saidshields serving to prevent the formation of arcs between the positiveelectrodes, and also to keep the said electrodes hot, so that mercuryvapor will not condense or deposit upon them. The positive electrodesand their shields are surrounded by another sheet metal shield 8 that issuitably spaced from the main or outer shell 1, is open at its top, andis so shaped at its bottom as to meet the upper end of the cylinder 1.The shield 8 com prises a plurality of sections that are each secured attheir tops to a ring 9 by means of screws 10 and alternate sections ofwhich are provided with tongues 11 which overlap and engage the edges ofthe adjoining sections. The sections are also held together at theirbottoms by means of a rin" 1:2 (Fig. 6) that rests upon the top of theinsulating cylinder 4. The shell 8 is supported at its top by means ofinsulators 14 that are provided with recesses for the reception of thering 9 and are supported by brackets 15 that are secured to the sides ofthe casing 1.

Extending across the upper end of the shield 8 is a bar 16 that carriesa cross arm 17, the said parts carrying insulators 18 that engage thesides of the positive electrode shields 7 and assist in supporting thesame. Brackets 19 that are secured to the sides of the outer shield 8also carry insulators 18 that further assist in supporting the electrodeshields 7, it being understood that another of the brackets 19 isemployed in the device directly opposite that shown in Fig. 2. The crossbar 16 also carries supports 16 for the starting electrode 20.

It will be seen from the drawings and from the foregoing descriptionthat the positive electrodes are not only surrounded by shields whichprevent the occurrence of arcs directly between the said electrodes. butthat the outer shield 8 is also interposed between the said electrodesand the casing, the lower ends of the electrode shields 7 opening withinthe outer shield 8. It should also be noted that both the electrodeshield and the outer shield are insulated from the casing. As the outershield 8 is extended downwardly into the mercury constituting thenegative electrode, spattering of mercury cannot cause arcs to occurbetween the positive electrodes and the casing. With the positiveelectrodes thus so effectively shielded, the mercury constituting thenegative electrode may be contained directly by the casing 1, thusavoiding the necessity of employing an insulating container therefor andalso rendering it possible to connect one terminal of the externalcircuit directly to the casing itself.

The casin 1 is provided on its top with a small pro ection 22 having twotapered vertical passages 23 and 24, the former extending entirelythrough the projection, and the latter from its top to near its bottom.The passages 23 and 24 are connected near their lower ends by atransverse passage 25. The passage 23 contains a tapered plug 26 havinga drilled passage 27 extending vertically from its bottom part waythrough it, and a transverse passage 28 extending inwardly from one sideuntil it meets and communicates with the passage 27. A ground joint isprovided between the plug 26 and the walls of the passage 23, and theplug is provided with a square head to which a wrench may be applied forthe purpose of turning it, to cause the transverse passage 28 in it toeither register with the transverse passage 26 or to be cut off fromcommunication therewith. A removable screw plug 29 is also provided inthe upper end of the passage 23 to provide an additional seal above theplug 26. Secured in the upper end of the passage 24 is a stop cock 30like that set forth in Patent No. 1,001,455, which providesexceptionally efiective means for readily connecting the rectifier to avacuum pump (not shown) and disconnecting it therefrom at will.

The parts above described thus constitutea double valve or' stop cockbetween the rectifier and pump, thereby affording greater securityagalnst leakage from the rectifier. The valve, of which the plug 26constitutes a part, may be used alone for sealing the rectifier. whenthe rectifier is to be mechanically disconnected from the pump, and thestop cock 30 may be removed, or both valves may be used, in which casethe stop %ock 30 will be left connected to the recti- During treatingand testing it is necessary that the rectifier be cut oif from the pumpfor days at a time and yet the vacuum should be held high. Forthis'purpose the Sakai valve shown at 30 with its mercury seals is welladapted. When, however, the rectifier is ready for shipment, this large,expensive and easily broken device is removed after closing valve 26. Assoon thereafter as possible this latter valve is sealed by fillingspaces 23. 24 and 25 with mercury or other suitable liquid retained inposition by cap 29 and a cap in the top of opening 24.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vapor electric device. the combination with an evacuatedcontainer composed of conducting material, of a plurality of essee-ranodes and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode therein and a shield ofconducting material insulated from said electrodes and from saidcontainer and arranged to prevent short circuits between said anodesvia. the container wall.

2. A vapor electric device comprising a conductmg casing, a vaporizablenegative electrode within the casing, positive elecn trodes also withinthe casing, an insulating shell extending into the vaporizableelectrode, and a conducting shield interposed between the positiveelectrodes and the casing and meeting the said insulating shell.

3. A vapor electric device comprising a conducting casing, a vaporizablenegative electrode within the same, positive electrodes also within thecasing, and a conducting shield surrounding the positive electrodes andextending into the vaporizable electrode.

4. A vapor electric device comprising a conducting casing, a vaporizablenegative electrode within the same, positive electrodes also within thecasing, and a conducting shield surrounding the positive electrodes andextending into the vaporizable electrode, but insulated therefrom.

5. A vapor electric device comprising a conducting casing, electrodeswithin the casing. shields therefor opening outwardly away from eachother and toward the casing, and another shield interposed between theopen ends of the aforesaid shields and the casing.

6. A vapor electric device comprising a conducting casing, electrodeswithin the casing. shields therefor opening outwardly away from eachother and toward the casing, and another shield interposed between theopen ends of the aforesaid shields and the casing. the said shieldsbeing insulated from the casing.

, 7. A vapor electric device comprising a conducting casing, avaporizable negative electrode therein, positive electrodes also withinthe casing, shields surrounding the positive electrodes and openingoutwardly away from each other toward the casing,and

another shield interposed between the open ends of the aforesaid shieldsand the casing, and extending into the vaporizable electrode.

8. A vapor electric device comprising a conducting casing having apocket. a vaporizable electrode contained within the pocket, positiveelectrodes within the casing. an insulating shell projecting into thepocket and vaporizable electrode, and a shield interposed between thepositive electrodes and the casing and meeting the said insulatingshell.

9. A vapor electric device comprising a casing. a vaporizable electrodetherein. an-

other electrode in the casing, a shield surrounding the same and openingtoward the casing, and another shield interposed between the casing andthe open end of the aforesaid shield.

10. -A vapor electric device comprising a conducting casing, avaporizable electrode therein, another electrode in the casing, a shieldsurrounding the same and opening toward the casing, and another shieldinterposed between the casing and the open end of the aforesaid shield.

11. A vapor electric device comprising a conducting casing, avaporizable negative electrode therein, positive electrodes also withinthe casing, shields surrounding the positive electrodes and openingoutwardly away from each other toward the casing,

and another shield interposed between the open ends of the aforesaidshields and the casing, and extending into the vaporizable electrode.

12. In vapor electric apparatus, the combination with an evacuatedcontainer formed of conducting material, of a cathode and a plurality ofanodes therein, and a c'ond ing shield insulated from all of saidelectrodes and from said container and surrounding the arc spacesbetween each of said anodes and said cathode.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th dayof September, 1911.

FRANK CONRAD. Witnesses:

WILLIAM BRADSHAW, B. B. HINES.

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